Teacher tired of changing rules

Monday

Mar 4, 2013 at 2:14 PM

I am tired. I’m a Louisiana public school teacher, and enough is enough.

Nancy HendrickSlidell

I am tired. I’m a Louisiana public school teacher, and enough is enough.Just when my wonderful local school board member explains new rules to me, two months later, the rules change again.I can’t keep up with all the changes.Neither can she. I am tired. St. Tammany was fine. Leave us alone, Bobby, and give us back the money taken from us.We had a great system, and we, the teachers of this fine district, do not want you to mess with us. (Don’t mess with Texas, either. I will remind Gov. Perry to not look at the Louisiana school system reforms for guidance. But he could look at St. Tammany schools.)I am tired of having kids in my classroom who can explode at any time. One elementary-age student beat up a teacher last week. The teacher returned the next day, and the kid is in her classroom again.Are you kidding me? Evaluate that.I am tired of the schools’ role in social services more than education ... feeding (free breakfast), clothing, teaching manners, feeding again (free lunch) — in other words raising the children of today.Where are their parents? I have sent home several notes to some of my students’ parents, thanking them for raising their kids with high expectations. They actually thank me for setting high standards in my class.Manners matter. Won’t be evaluated on that.I am tired. Thanks to the new evaluation, if I do everything to perfection, have a master’s degree, teach at a great school, perform a dog and pony show, wear the right clothes, say the right things and tell kids they are wonderful, then, and only then, I may get that tremendous pay increase of $400 maximum a year. (That’s before taxes and then split into 12 months.)Then with my raise, I would be able to buy my favorite sorority sister a soda during happy hour.

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